Festival of Nations (Ward Cultural Night)

Saturday evening, October 20, 2012, we attended El Festival de las Naciones in our ward (the Madrid 6th Ward) cultural hall. It featured booths with displays and food, along with a program of singing and dancing. Our ward has members from 19 different countries!

Carla Flores and a friend represented Honduras:

Adriana Gamero from Peru, Beverly, and Vili from Bulgaria. Adriana is one of Beverly's piano students. Vili is an investigator who told us that she and her husband have given up smoking, coffee, etc., to prepare for baptism:

As part of the display for the United States, Beverly made several plates of fudge. (The fudge was eaten quickly!)

A member at the Peru display shows off his country's flag:

Peruvian dancers:

Brother Olivares (counselor in the bishopric and temple ordinance worker) with Samantha Encacada, a Peruvian:

 Armando Cuélllar with his wife Mirtha Vásquez, from Bolivia:

Jaime de la Torre (our ward HP group leader and temple sealer) at the Colombia display:

María Elena (counselor in the ward Primary) was in charge of the Colombia booth, with its delicious food:

A girl in Colombian costume:

 Bolivian dancers:

Sister Gutiérrez and her daughter doing a Spanish dance. (Sister Gutiérrez, is a missionary here with her husband and son; they work in the hostal and in the temple):

The Gutiérrez dancers with the Spanish flag:

Nigerian dancers:

Felix and Jennifer Ogdebor (on the right) from southern Nigeria. Sister Ogdebor is our ward music chorister:

The huge crowd at the ward Festival of Nations:

The next day in Sacrament Meeting, a speaker said it best: Only in the true Church could so many people from so many different countries come together in such love and harmony.